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NHS Redress Bill [Lords]

I rise to speak on Third Reading with mixed feelings, because I felt at many stages during the Bill’s progress that there was a lot of genuine consensus based on honesty and openness, on trying to ensure that patients could have a means of redress, and on facilitating that in as many ways as possible. Unfortunately, we have reached a point where there is a fundamental difference between Members on either side of the House on how we achieve those ends. The Committee stage of the Bill was unusually short, which was a first for me. I thank the hon. Member for Billericay (Mr. Baron) for his co-operation, the Committee Clerk for his forbearance, and the Chairs. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Dr. Pugh), who supported me in Committee. I also thank the Minister. It is somewhat unusual to put forward arguments and find them genuinely listened to and accepted. I pay great tribute to him for that.